Receive the latest tech updates in your inbox

University of Chicago Dr. Anil Shah is believed to have performed the first operation in the city using Google glasses, which allowed him to view both his patient, and x-rays and charts at the same time. Nesita Kwan reports. (Published Friday, Dec. 27, 2013)

A University of Chicago plastic surgeon on Thursday took Google Glass -- the tech giant's wearable computer -- into the operating room.

Dr. Anil Shah wore the device while working on a patient who smashed her nose in October while visiting an amusement park.

Chicagoan Among First to Test Google Glass

Google Glass won’t be on sale to the public until the end of the year, but Chicagoan Mike Santoro is getting a sneak peek. He’s one of the first to try the experimental glasses that put the technology of a PC or tablet, right in the frames. Charlie Wojciechowski reports. (Published Monday, July 8, 2013)

"This is a perfect case to highlight the merits of Google Glass since her nose has both obvious external as well as internal nasal deviation," said Shah, one of hundreds of people in various industries invited by Google to test the device.

Shah predicts the small devices, which feature a screen that sits just in front of a user's right eye, will revolutionize surgery. Google Glass allows him to look at an X-Ray or MRI without taking his eye off the patient, Shah says. It also allows a doctor to communicate with a patient's family or friends during a procedure, and in the case of Thursday's operation, record what the patient's nose looked like before putting the cast on.

"That means she won’t have to wait in suspense while she’s in a cast wondering how she looks," said Shah. "I think it helps the surgeon concentrate more on the case and more on what's relevant, and just get rid of the distractions on the outside."

The procedure wasn't just the first Google Glass operation in Chicago. University officials say it will also be the first rhinoplasty using the device done anywhere in the world. The young mother says she’s awe-struck.

"This is like science fiction," she said, asking that her identity be kept private.